


the earth is shaking and i see a light

by imadetheline



Series: Breathe In, Breathe Out [13]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Character Study, Father-Son Relationship, FebuWhump2021, Gen, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:35:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29426811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imadetheline/pseuds/imadetheline
Summary: febuwhump day thirteen - hiding an injury
Relationships: Luke Skywalker & Darth Vader
Series: Breathe In, Breathe Out [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2140389
Comments: 13
Kudos: 82
Collections: Luke and Vader Bonding, febuwhump 2021





	the earth is shaking and i see a light

**Author's Note:**

> title from yellow light by of monsters and men
> 
> most of the dialogue taken from return of the jedi. this is more of a character study and then au at the end

He can feel his side pulse with pain with every step he takes. But it’s nothing he can’t handle. Luke breathes in through his nose and doesn’t blink when it flares. There are more important things right now, like the fate of his father.

Vader’s here, on this moon, and Luke won’t leave him to the fate he’s chosen. Not as long as he can sense that flicker of light in the storm of darkness surrounding his father. So the injury takes a backseat to the conflict he’s approaching, wrists bound and arms at his elbows guiding him forward into a lift. At least they’re not as rough as some guards he’s had upon previous captures, which makes it easier to breathe through the pain in his abdomen. He would very much like to not collapse in front of his father.

The lift is faster than he expected, and sooner than he’d wanted, the door is sliding open to a walkway above the forest floor. And standing there, menacing as ever, is Darth Vader. 

Luke thinks the calm he’s projecting should be commended for all that’s running through his mind at the sight of his father again. This is what he wanted: a last chance to save the man he never got to know or die trying. And he can still sense that light deep within, but suddenly the darkness seems all the more immense and daunting, swirling around him.

But the officers march him forwards, and there’s no backing out now. He steels himself, taking in shallow breaths through his nose and pulling on the Force to bolster his waning strength. The officer hands over his saber, the one he made, to Vader. Luke takes the moment to glance, hopefully subtly, to his side. There’s no blood, but he knows that’s worse. Because Luke can tell his breaths are already shallower than they were five minutes ago. Which means it’s internal. Kriff. Well, it appears it really is ‘turn his father or die trying’ because if his broken ribs pierce a lung, he’s not going to last long.

“The emperor has been expecting you.” Luke realizes with a start that they’re alone now. That doesn’t bode well for how long he’s going to stay conscious.

But he refocuses, maintaining his calm exterior, and steps after his father, ignoring the stabs of pain, “I know, father.”

“So you have accepted the truth.” Somehow, here, now, his father’s voice doesn’t sound as deep or as intimidating as he remembers it. Maybe it’s the trauma of Bespin that taints his memory of it; maybe it’s the hope he senses through the cracks in Vader’s shields, maybe it’s that Luke knows the sad reality of the dark side his father has consigned himself to.

“I’ve accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father.” He’s surprised at how smooth the words come out, but he has to suck in a deeper than normal breath after the sentence. He hopes Vader doesn’t notice.

The hope he’d just sensed from his father disappears, replaced by numbing cold as he stops walking and turns toward Luke, gesturing with his lightsaber, “That name no longer has any meaning for me.” They’re empty words, and Luke knows it.

And he’s a Skywalker, so he argues, “It is the name of your true self. You've only forgotten. I know there is good in you. The Emperor hasn't driven it from you fully.” He can sense it, a flicker of the goodness that must have once been so wide and boundless. And Luke wants to help free it any way he can. Not for his sake but for his father’s. Because the darkness that swirls around Vader has the clink of chains and Luke knows their family history.

He turns his back to his father, resting his arms on the railing, hoping it’s not noticeable how much of his leaning is actually to support him from crashing to the ground as his vision blurs. “That was why you couldn't destroy me. That's why you won't bring me to your Emperor now.” The words are spoken with a confidence he does not possess and air that is swiftly becoming hard to find. But though he may not have confidence in his father’s decisions, he has hope. Really, that’s all he’s ever had. He has to believe it’s enough.

His father doesn’t respond to Luke’s words, just examines his saber hilt, “ I see you have constructed a new lightsaber.” He ignites it behind Luke, and this is as much a test as any of it. His father wants to gauge Luke’s reaction to the deadly weapon so close to his back, whether he considers it a threat… whether he considers his father an enemy. And Luke’s not sure what he considers Vader beyond his father, and that could be a term of respect, of love, or of distance. Luke hasn’t figured it out, but then again, it’s not really up to him. 

But he doesn’t consider the blade behind him a threat, that much he knows. And even if he did, he’d been prepared to die when he turned himself in. Why would that change now? 

So he doesn’t flinch, just sucks in another too-shallow breath and looks over his shoulder at the brilliant green light. And then it disappears back into the hilt, and the darkness of the forest floods back in. Luke suppresses a shiver.

“Your skills are complete.” He hears the heavy footsteps as Vader turns away, a show of trust Luke doesn’t know how to feel about. “Indeed, you are powerful, as the Emperor has foreseen.” And there’s almost pride lacing those words, and Luke feels his heart tear a bit more at the hand the galaxy has dealt their family. He knows that maybe if he weren’t battling for air, his broken ribs pressing on his lungs, he’d be holding back tears.

But this is what he has, all that’s left. So he clenches a prosthetic hand, another reminder of their relationship, and turns back to his father, one last desperate plea to his father falling from his lips, “Come with me.”

And across from him, the tide of grief swells and the echo of a woman’s voice  _ Come away with me! _ rings in Luke’s ears, his vision blurring at the edges.

  
  


“Obi-wan once thought as you do.” And Luke wants to shout that he’s not Obi-wan! He’s Vader’s son, and he understands. More than he ever wanted to, but he understands. All he can do is step closer on trembling legs to his father, who’s trying to distance himself from the child he’s never known. “You don't know the power of the dark side. I must obey my master.” 

And the darkness rattles with the chains of slavery again, the slavery his father had once escaped, had made sure his child would not have to endure what he had, only to return to it. “I will not turn...and you'll be forced to kill me.” The thought of his death doesn’t scare him, but that his father might choose the Dark over his own son needles at a part of himself deep inside that has always longed for a father. But even as he says it, he can feel the light inside his father slipping further away from his reach, the darkness reaching out to swallow it beneath the weight of his father’s despair. Luke feels like he’s grabbing at air.

“If that is your destiny.”

A sob catches in Luke’s throat, his body failing him. “Search your feelings, father. You can’t do this. I feel the conflict within you. Let go of your hate.” Desperately, he reaches out with his own light, trying to convey his hope, for them, for the universe to his father. But he’s met by durasteel shields.

“It is too late for me, son.” The endless sadness and self-hatred behind those words threaten to rob Luke of any air left. “The Emperor will show you the true nature of the Force. He is your master now.”

Luke takes another step forward, ignoring the spiking pain and creeping darkness pulling at the edge of his vision, “It’s not too late. The Dark is a choice you make and keep making. You can stop now. It’s not too late. Come back!”

And he’d known what he was risking, but the whisper of pressure around his throat still shocks some part of him as he inhales air that doesn’t make it past the invisible grip on his airway. But as quickly it appears, it’s gone, and Luke feels the rush of regret from his father. 

He doesn’t have time to process it fully, though, because his lungs have decided that air is no longer needed, his ribs screaming, and vision blackening. He stumbles, reaching for something to stop his fall, and his hand catches on something before his knees give out. That same something reaches for him, catching him, as it flares in surprise and guilt.

Luke grabs for it with his remaining strength, hand finding cloth, and he whispers across their bond,  _ Come back… please. _

  
The response is warm as it wraps around his mind, warm and light and sorry. There is darkness still, but that light has grown from its former flicker. And if Luke could breathe, he would have cried, would have wrapped his arms around his father. Maybe this means things will be okay. The last thing he thinks before consciousness slips from him is  _ Take that, Palpatine. _

**Author's Note:**

> If you guys liked it leave a comment. They make my day! Seriously I love reading them so please leave me one cause they motivate me to write more! if you guys have ideas for other stories send me an ask on tumblr [here](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/imadetheline) or just yell about stuff with me. Info about me and all my other tumblrs are [here](https://infoabtmaddie.carrd.co/#)


End file.
